Roadway marker

ABSTRACT

A roadway marker comprising a substantially flat base plate and a housing mechanically interlocked to said base plate. The housing includes an outer surface that is inclined to the roadway when the marker is applied to the roadway. The outer surface has a recess into which a reflector is mounted. The reflector has a substantially smooth outer surface and a plurality of retroreflective prisms on the inner surface which are adapted to reflect light from the light beams of the automotive vehicle back to the eyes of the driver.

United States Patent [1 1 Hedgewick Sept. 11,1973

1 1 ROADWAY MARKER [75] Inventor: Peter Hedgewick, Windsor, Ontario,

Canada [73] Assignee: Reflex Corporation of Canada Limited, Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 130,942

[52] US. Cl 350/103, 350/67, 94/].5 [51] Int. Cl. G02b 5/12 [58] Field of Search ..350/97-l09, 67; 94/1.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,485,148 l2/l969 Heenan 350/67 3,409,344 11/1968 Balint 350/103 Primary ExaminerDavid Schonberg Assistant ExaminerMichael J Tokar Att0rneyMcGlynn, Reising, Milton & Ethington [57] ABSTRACT A roadway marker comprising a substantially flat base plate and a housing mechanically interlocked to said base plate. The housing includes an outer surface that .is inclined to the roadway when the marker is applied to the roadway. The outer surface has a recess into which a reflector is mounted The reflector has a substantially smooth outer surface and a plurality of retroreflective prisms on the inner surface which are adapted to reflect light from the light beams of the automotive vehicle back to the eyes of the driver.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ROADWAY MARKER This invention relates to roadway markers and particularly to roadway markers that are adapted to be mounted on a roadway to reflect the light from the headlight of an oncoming automotive vehicle and thereby delineate the roadway to the driver of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the US. Pat. to Balint et al No. 3,409,344, issued Nov. 5, 1968, there is disclosed and claimed a roadway marker which includes an integral housing of plastic and an integral reflective insert of transparent plastic material bonded in a recess in the wall of the housing. Such a roadway reflector effectively functions to reflect light from the headlight of an oncoming vehicle back to the eyes of the driver.

In case of damage to such a reflector due to unusual forces thereon, it is necessary to replace the entire roadway marker. This involves cleaning the roadway surface and applying a new roadway marker.

It is desirable to minimize costs and speed the process of replacement to provide a more readily replaceable pavement marker which can be replaced quickly and at lesser cost.

Accordingly, among the objects of the invention are to provide a roadway marker which can have the reflective portion thereof replaced quickly; wherein the reflective portion is protected at all times both during handling and after application to the roadway surface; which substantially reduces the cost of replacement; and which effectively withstands the normal hazards encountered with roadway traffic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A roadway marker comprising a substantially flat base plate and a housing mechanical interlocked to said base plate. The housing includes an outer surface that is inclined to the roadway when the marker is applied to the roadway. The outer surface has a recess into which a reflector is mounted. The reflector has a substantially smooth outer surface and a plurality of retroreflective prisms on the inner surface which are adapted to reflect light from the light beams of the automotive vehicle back to the eyes of the driver.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a roadway marker embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken'along the line 2- -2 showing the roadway marker applied to a roadway surface.

FIG. 3is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the roadway marker shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the roadway marker shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the replaceable portion of the roadway marker.

FIG. 7 is a plan-view of the base portion of the roadway marker DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, the roadway marker 10 embodying the invention comprises a generally rectangular portion 11 in the form of a base plate made of organic plastic material and a replaceable portion 12 or housing which is made of organic plastic and removably applied to the base plate 11 and mechanically interlocked thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, the base plate 11 is generally flat and includes tapered upper surfaces 13 at opposite ends thereof which form a very small angle with the roadway surface for example, on the order of approximately 10 or less. The base portion or plate 11 has end edges 13a that extend transversely to the direction of travel over a roadway when the base portion is mounted thereon.

The replaceable portion 12 is in the form of a plastic housing having a flat upper surface 14, opposed inclined end surfaces 15, and opposed inclined side surfaces 16 forming a greater angle with the vertical than the surfaces 15. The width of housing 12 is substantially equal to the width of base plate 11. The base 11 includes a centrally located transversely extending and upstanding projection 17 which is frictionally received in a complementary recess 18 in the bottom of the housing 12 (FIGS. 6, 2 and 3). The projection 17 and recess 18 are generally rectangular with the side walls thereof in frictional engagement and the upper surface 19 of the projection 17 abutting the base 20 of the recess 18.

The base plate 11 further includes generally rectangular grooves extending transversely on opposite sides of the projection 17 into which complementary ridges 21 of the housing 12 extends, the base 23 of each groove 22 engaging the base 24 of the ridge 21. Screws 25 extend through openings 26 in the top wall 14 of housing 12 and are threaded into openings 27 in projection 17. The screws have flat outer surfaces 28 and frusto conical heads which engage frusto conical depressions 29 surrounding the opening 26.

One or both of the end walls 15 of the housing 12 are formed with a cavity 30 into which a cube comer reflex reflector 31 of transparent plastic material is inserted. The reflector element 31 includes a smooth outer surface 32 and a plurality of cube corner reflex reflector elements or prisms 33 on the inner surface thereof. The prisms 33 are preferably formed by three right angle surfaces in accordance with well-known retroreflective prism construction. The angles of the axes of the prisms with respect to the general plane of the outer surface 32 and, in turn, the surface 15 is such that the prisms will reflect the light beam from the rays of the automobile in accordance with well-known laws of optics. The reflector 31 further includes a peripheral wall 34 that extends toward the base 35 of the cavity 30 and spaces the prisms 33 from the base of the recess. A continuous portion 36 of the housing is ultra-sonicallysealed at the peripheral edge 37 of the reflector to permanently hold the reflector in the housing 12.

In order to minimize the weight of the housing, cavities 38 are formed in the bottom of the housing 12 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. A cavity 17a is formed in the bottom of the base portion beneath projections 17 as shown in FIG. 6.

In use, the roadway marker is applied to the roadway surface S by the use of epoxy resin R, the resin adhering the base plate to the roadway surface. Portions of the resin extend through openings 40 to provide a mechanical interlock between the base plate and the roadway surface.

In case of damage to the reflector or the housing, the screws 28 are removed and a new housing 12 with a reflective portion therein is applied quickly by the use of an Allen-head wrench. As a result, a minimum of obstruction to the roadway traffic occurs and a lesser cost is involved both in the cost of the roadway marker and the labor involved in replacement.

I claim:

1. A roadway marker comprising: a base portion of organic plastic material adapted to be secured to a roadway surface and having an end edge that extends transversely to the direction of travel over a roadway when the base, portion is mounted thereon, said base portion having a lower, roadway engaging surface and an upper surface; a housing portion of organic plastic material formed with a reflector cavity for receiving a cube corner reflex reflector; and mounting means for detachably securing said housing portion to the upper surface of said base portion, said mounting means including an elongated projection formed on one of said portions, and a complementary recess in the other of said portions receiving said elongated projection in frictional engagement therewith, said reflector cavity being oriented in parallel relationship with said end edge of said base portion when said projection is received in said recess.

2. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means further includes a least one threaded fastener extending between said base portion and housing portion.

3. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projection is formed on the upper surface of said base portion and said recess is formed on the lower side of said housing portion.

4. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 3 wherein said projection and recess are parallel to said end edge of said base portion, and further including a pair of grooves in the upper surface of said base portion spaced from each other on opposite sides of said projection in parallel relationship therewith, and a pair of complementary ridges projecting from the lower side of said housing portion and received in said grooves.

S. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 4 wherein said housing portion includes a flat upper surface over- 4 lying said recess, and said mounting means further includes at least one screw extending through said flat upper surface into threaded engagement with said projection.

6. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 5 wherein said housing has an inclined end wall extending from said top surface toward said end edge, and said reflector cavity is formed in said inclined end wall.

7. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 6 further including a cube corner reflex reflector received in said reflector cavity, said reflector having a smooth outer surface extending across said cavity and an inner surface formed with cube comer reflector elements.

8. A roadway marker comprising: a base portion of organic plastic material adapted to be secured to a roadway surface and having an end edge that extends transversely to the direction of travel over a roadway when the base portion is mounted thereon; said base portion having a lower, roadway engaging surface and an upper surface; a projection formed on said upper surface and extending parallel to said end edge, said projection having a flat upper surface; a housing portion of organic plastic material having a flat upper surface and opposed inclined end surfaces extending downwardly from opposite edges of said upper surface; a recess formed beneath said upper surface complementary to said projection and receiving said projection with the walls of said recess in frictional engagement with the walls of said projection, said recess having a base abutting the upper surface of said projection; a reflector cavity formed on at least one of said end surfaces of said housing portion; a cube corner reflex reflector received in said cavity, said reflector having a smooth outer surface extending across said cavity and an inner surface formed with cube comer reflector elements; and fastener means extending through said upper surface of said housing portion and said upper surface of said projection.

9. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 8 further including a pair of grooves in the upper surface of said base portion spaced from each other on opposite sides of said projection in parallel relationship therewith, and a pair of complementary ridges projecting beneath said housing portion and received in said grooves. 

1. A roadway marker comprising: a base portion of organic plastic material adapted to be secured to a roadway surface and having an end edge that extends transversely to the direction of travel over a roadway when the base portion is mounted thereon, said base portion having a lower, roadway engaging surfacE and an upper surface; a housing portion of organic plastic material formed with a reflector cavity for receiving a cube corner reflex reflector; and mounting means for detachably securing said housing portion to the upper surface of said base portion, said mounting means including an elongated projection formed on one of said portions, and a complementary recess in the other of said portions receiving said elongated projection in frictional engagement therewith, said reflector cavity being oriented in parallel relationship with said end edge of said base portion when said projection is received in said recess.
 2. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting means further includes a least one threaded fastener extending between said base portion and housing portion.
 3. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projection is formed on the upper surface of said base portion and said recess is formed on the lower side of said housing portion.
 4. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 3 wherein said projection and recess are parallel to said end edge of said base portion, and further including a pair of grooves in the upper surface of said base portion spaced from each other on opposite sides of said projection in parallel relationship therewith, and a pair of complementary ridges projecting from the lower side of said housing portion and received in said grooves.
 5. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 4 wherein said housing portion includes a flat upper surface overlying said recess, and said mounting means further includes at least one screw extending through said flat upper surface into threaded engagement with said projection.
 6. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 5 wherein said housing has an inclined end wall extending from said top surface toward said end edge, and said reflector cavity is formed in said inclined end wall.
 7. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 6 further including a cube corner reflex reflector received in said reflector cavity, said reflector having a smooth outer surface extending across said cavity and an inner surface formed with cube corner reflector elements.
 8. A roadway marker comprising: a base portion of organic plastic material adapted to be secured to a roadway surface and having an end edge that extends transversely to the direction of travel over a roadway when the base portion is mounted thereon; said base portion having a lower, roadway engaging surface and an upper surface; a projection formed on said upper surface and extending parallel to said end edge, said projection having a flat upper surface; a housing portion of organic plastic material having a flat upper surface and opposed inclined end surfaces extending downwardly from opposite edges of said upper surface; a recess formed beneath said upper surface complementary to said projection and receiving said projection with the walls of said recess in frictional engagement with the walls of said projection, said recess having a base abutting the upper surface of said projection; a reflector cavity formed on at least one of said end surfaces of said housing portion; a cube corner reflex reflector received in said cavity, said reflector having a smooth outer surface extending across said cavity and an inner surface formed with cube corner reflector elements; and fastener means extending through said upper surface of said housing portion and said upper surface of said projection.
 9. A roadway marker as claimed in claim 8 further including a pair of grooves in the upper surface of said base portion spaced from each other on opposite sides of said projection in parallel relationship therewith, and a pair of complementary ridges projecting beneath said housing portion and received in said grooves. 